The invention relates to a position-securing mechanism for securing the position of an agricultural working device, which can be attached to an agricultural working machine via a coupling device, on a trailer and, to a device unit of an agricultural working device and a trailer for the working device, where the device unit is equipped with two such position-securing mechanisms.
Self-propelled agricultural harvesting machines, such as forage harvesters and combine harvesters, are usually provided with working devices or front attachments such as headers, pick-ups, snapping units and corn headers in order to harvest crop such as corn, hay or grain from the field.
In order to be operated, such working devices are typically mounted on the working machine by a coupling device, such that these working devices extend transversely to the direction of travel. Working devices are known to have a working width or length of approximately 9 m. In order to move the working machine along with the working device on a public road, it is therefore necessary to reduce the overall width of the working machine to a legally permissible dimension.
To this end, known working devices can be either angled in segments or folded onto one another, while remaining at the front of the working machine or, while secured on a trailer, coupled to the rear of the working machine and drawn thereby such that the working devices are oriented along the direction of travel.
Since the current trend of continuously increasing the engine output of the working machines is accompanied by continuously increasing working widths of the working devices, for example, of up to 12 m, the issue of hauling the working devices on trailers is becoming more significant, since the front axle load of the working machines is limited on public roads. It is challenging, therefore, to ensure that the working device can be quickly and reliably removed from the trailer and placed onto and positionally secured on the trailer.
DE 101 21 039 A1 makes known a trailer for a front harvesting attachment, comprising a chassis, a surface designed to receive a front harvesting attachment and a detent element that can be moved between a first position, in which the front harvesting attachment is placed onto the trailer and removed therefrom and a second position, in which the detent element affixes the front harvesting attachment on the trailer. A feeler element is provided on the trailer, which interacts with the front harvesting attachment and is designed so that when the front harvesting attachment is placed onto the trailer, the detent element automatically moves out of the first position and into the second position. The movement of the detent element out of the second position back into the first position is initiated manually by an operator or driver of the working machine to be equipped with the front harvesting attachment. This requires additional set-up time and can reduce operational reliability, since the front harvesting attachment is then in a state in which this front harvesting attachment is unlocked from the trailer and is not yet coupled to the working machine.